glack wrote: » I’m really relieved to hear I’ll be back in my classroom in September and I’m looking forward to finally finding out what’s in store for schools next week. A few hopes and wishes for the guidelines: 1. Arrangements for staggered break times (to reduce student interaction with children in other classes and among teachers in staff rooms also) 2. Cleaning protocols- my school wouldn’t be the cleanest normally and many other schools are the same. My classroom desks get washed when I do it. Many teachers don’t clean theirs so they are never cleaned (gross!) but this should not really be the teachers responsibility. Classroom floors get swept but not washed either so this also needs to change. I think if it’s laid out in black and white it will happen. Extra funding needed for this also. Would love to have a sink in my classroom so I can clean my desks properly daily but saving that I’d take a spray/disposable tissue etc like you see being used in restaurants. Also need protocols around cleaning of bannisters, door handles, toilets etc during the day. 3. Teachers, SNAs and all other staff should be required to wear masks or shields as appropriate. I’ll probably have to stick to a shield due to the nature of the SEN in my class this year. Face coverings should be considered in second level. 4. Classes will hopefully be back in full. But arrangements should be made to ensure this can happen long term. What kind of “pod” systems can realistically be put I place? We don’t want to have to shut down the whole building every time someone has a connection with a confirmed or suspected case. Max that should have to stay home is one class if there is a case. 5. Laid out expectations as to what should happen if we had to close again either temporarily or for months again. Let’s learn from the madness of this March. Personally I plan on setting up home/school communication platforms as soon as we reopen so that it is ready should we need use it. Will also use it in class so my students are familiar and we aren’t all learning from scratch again. I’m guessing that there’s a high chance individual schools or classrooms may have to close for weeks at a time. We need to be prepared. 6. How will group work, station teaching, special education etc work. How will SNAs interact? This is particularly huge in younger classes. In our school management of infants using toilets is a huge concern. 7. How to manage shared spaces - PE halls/equipment, computer suites etc. Use of shared devices - iPads, chrome books, laptops etc. 8. One of the bigger issues-arrival and dismissal! Are we staggering arrival and finishing times or what? Can hardly expect 100s of children to arrive and leave at the same time without interacting. Oh and let’s not forget the huge issues around buses and transport!!! No easy solution there. Hopefully will be some suggestions and guidelines here too.
froog wrote: » can schools come up with any of those things themselves do you think?
glack wrote: » Until now we’ve been told to wait for guidelines. So that’s what my school has done. Issue with each school doing their own thing is that school A might do a fantastic job while school B doesn’t do anything at all with school C somewhere in the middle. This approach had mixed success so far with some schools really stepping up to the mark with online lessons etc and others barely doing anything. Clear guidelines reduces this disparity. Also, at primary so many schools simply don’t have the manpower as the principals are teachers too, they have no caretakers and schools are cleaned maybe twice a week.
robfowler78 wrote: » Could be wrong but I don't think face masks are recommended for children under 13. I not sure if that includes schools
blanch152 wrote: » The problems the Government have are mainly down to the teacher unions being slow on the uptake to realise that the world has changed. From day 1 the Government was planning for the possibility of calculated grades, but in order to bring the unions along, they had to examine all other possibilities first. As regards reopening the schools, we have seen already the social distancing regulations are reduced for schools in other countries and hasn't caused a problem, it will be the same here.
lulublue22 wrote: » We did it based on HSE and July provision guidelines. If I’m honest I think waiting totally for dep guidelines is a cop out. As a school you are entitled to stagger breaks if you so wish - similar with group work. Sanitising equipment such as spray , wipes and or enough masks to get through Sep is just good practice anyway. Rota’s for cleaning class etc is also within schools remit. TBF there was a certain amount that schools could do without waiting fir the dep. I don’t accept the disparity among schools arguments either to be honest. We started getting feedback in late May and started implementing strategies as best we could in June and July. As did a lot if schools I know.
am_zarathustra wrote: » I know several schools that haven't done a single thing....waiting for guidelines. If a principal decides to wait, there is little anyone else in the school can do. I agree, it is all doable bu the guidelines should have issued weeks ago. I doubt anything in the document will be a shock but it would have allowed teachers to start planning in schools where management leaves something to be desired.
Smacruairi wrote: » 100% agree. And to be fair, a bit of elbow grease from principals at the start of August could mitigate a lack of June and July work. However what a school day looks like is the big issue and could be a sledgehammer here to all plans. I'm secondary, and it's like pulling a thread of a jumper once you start looking at the timetables for students. Hopefully the guidelines offer more than "2m distance and off you go with location arrangements". 6th years will want as much time as possible, quite rightly. Then 5th will want a load of contact time coming out of TY and looking to hit the ground running. Then 3rd years too will need exam priority. But first years need to embed into the new environment. I can understand the arguments for all years (bar ty...) to be prioritised and every parent will quite rightly fight for their patch as much as possible, but that's why the dept hopefully go that specific so that it's not the footsoldiers being lobbied, but the higher ups. That's my slight concern anyway, but it could threaten to destabilise the entire school community if everyone gets selfish.
froog wrote: » i suppose my point is every school is very different in terms of student numbers, physical layout of the school, resources etc. so the guidelines schools will receive will be pretty general/high level and not much different to general business guidelines that have been out for months now, and schools will have to apply them as best they can. if you are waiting for specific solutions to your school you will be waiting a long time.
Yosef Stocky Backspace wrote: » I think the massive gulf between primary and secondary must be considered re planning. The intricacies of planning a timetable are significant in normal times. 1m distancing, 2m distancing, students no longer banded by level for core subjects, students grouped according to option choices- each of those individually or collectively have different and profound impacts on any timetable and on arrangements for physical facilities and resources. I'm not sure people understand the mammoth task this will be and expecting each scenario planned for in the absence of final guidelines is ridiculous imo.
glack wrote: » Yes but these generic guidelines have a major impact. June’s document wanted 1m social distancing from 3rd class up. Our large class sizes plus tiny classrooms would mean 50% max capacity. This now looks like it wouldn’t be required. Spent hours in June/early July moving furniture, switching classrooms, removing storage etc to create more room and now it looks like it won’t be in the final guidelines at all. As far as I’m aware I’m our school they have hired extra cleaning staff for September (as we can absorb the cost of that but hopefully will get extra funds to continue). When I was last there, sanitiser existed at the main entrance but nowhere else so all staff in my building just brought their own. They had gotten quotes from builders to build additional toilets though and this work has begun - hopefully that work can be completed pre school opening as it would be a huge help. My class would currently have to travel a decent distance to the nearest toilets so this would help with keeping classes separated and reducing interaction with other children. This will take all of our minor works grant though (plus additional money!!!) so I’m sure management were relieved to see this grant has been doubled for this year-this will mean they have funds for other improvements. Hopefully there is time to get those done too but with only 5 weeks to go, maybe not. So work is in motion.
solerina wrote: » The day the government return to Leinster house as per normal is the day when it’s safe to go back to school as per normal...until that day we need a safe plan not just go back at all costs which is what seems to be the case !!
timmy_mallet wrote: » Does it not boil down to a cost benefit analysis, theres no benefit to having the dail together in Leinster house, so pointless argument. Did retail workers say the same when they were the only places open during March? There is a massive risk to kids NOT being in school, so the cost (covid risk to all involved), while applying reasonable safety measures, is worth it. If teachers unions disagree, it's their choice Again, it's all a charade, everyone is getting their ar$es covered, knowing that in Ireland with the way education is structured and the stakeholders involved, there will be never be a return to school while this disease is a pandemic.
History Queen wrote: » Schools will open.
Benimar wrote: » What’s your view on how much time kids will be in for per week? As a parent I’ve always thought half time would be the extent of it (teachers in for 5 days - classes split in two), but the Government seem to be going all in on a full return. I’m not sure how feasible that is, they can’t just ignore all Social Distancing...can they?!
History Queen wrote: » I can't find reference to any country that has reduced sovial distancing in schools without either reduced student numbers or the use of PPE or both. Are you aware of any? I also don't understand your assertions that the unions are problem?
the corpo wrote: » Mine are. Most of my friends kids are social distancing. Some aren't. It's July, loads of kids would traditionally be away now, if they were all out on the greens mingling each park in Ireland would look like Slane. And again, outdoors transmission is entirely different to indoors transmission.
Lillyfae wrote: » After a trial run of 50/50, primary school children went back for full time about 6 weeks before summer break in The Netherlands. Crèches since the middle of May 100%. Children of frontline workers were in school all through lockdown. When the others returned, there were enhanced rules such as parents using certain entrances for picks ups and drop offs, not being allowed in the building, of course good hand hygiene etc but no PPE. No second wave yet.
average_runner wrote: » Kids are back in sports. No social distancing there. Our kids are on the street with the other kids, in and out of their houses. This is essential for their own mental health. We know our inner circle Campsites are packed and kids are running around together.
the corpo wrote: » No idea about going into each other's houses, certainly hardly in groups of 30. Otherwise your three examples are all outdoors. So it's a false equivalence.
